Blitz & Beatz Wisconsin was all anyone hoped it would be, attracting thousands of students and bringing the storm to Madison, Wisconsin. The next stop on the tour is University of Michigan, and along for the ride is CampusFood.com, helping make the party happen and dishing out gift cards to every student who attends. In honor of their contribution, we’re bringing you our guide to the best Campus Food affiliated restaurants and bars in Ann Arbor, Michigan, all of which can be ordered with a click of a mouse. We just hope they’re all fully-stocked, because Blitz & Beatz is coming.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Potbelly is a relatively small chain restaurant that began in Chicago in 1977. They started out selling furniture and serving the occasional sandwich to keep their customers happy, but more and more customers started coming for the food and leaving the couches and cabinets alone. Today Potbelly has over 200 shops nationwide, but we won’t hold it against them, because in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Potbelly is part of the family. If you need a late night, normal sized sandwich or a “Bigs” sandwich ($1 more, 30% more stuff), Potbelly is the place to go. They even have “Skinny” sandwiches with 20% less fat, so bring your girlfriend without fear.
Panchero’s Mexican Grill
If you’re not too drunk to handle it, Mexican food is cheap, hand-held, and chock full of everything good (and edible) in this world. When University of Michigan students get the urge to go south of the border, they hit up Panchero’s Mexican Grill. I’ve never had Panchero’s myself, but those like me who have a Chipotle and a Moe’s within a mile of their house, can relate to the need for high-quality Mexican fast food. With Burritos, Burrito Bowls, Tacos, and Quesadillas with your choice of meat, how can a broke college student looking for some good grub go wrong?
Blimpy Burger
Ann Arbor’s favorite burger since 1953, self-proclaimed and true. Blimpy makes their own ground beef in house, and won’t do anything less than a double patty burger for a post-pubescent adult. They call it the “Starter-Size.” The restaurant is setup like a cafeteria, but get this: there’s a “right” way to order and a “wrong” way to order. Blimpy’s site provides detailed instructions, and frankly, it seems a little stressful, but for 5 patties worth of Ann Arbor’s favorite burger (with cheese) for $5.70 might be worth it. Their menu has everything you could want in a burger and college students love them. I for one can’t wait to pick up a “Quint,” Nazi ordering procedure aside.
Mister Spots
Every town needs a city hall, a post office and a Philadelphia-style steak sandwich shop. Mister Spots is Michigan’s and it serves them well. They are open until midnight during the week and 1 AM on the weekends, so they might not be there after closing the bar, but if you wanna take a walk down the block for some meat and cheese while you’re sober enough to taste it, they’ll be waiting. If you want some selection, they have Chicken Phillies and Burgers too. Everything you need to soothe those munchies and make your Heart beg for mercy as hard as your Liver.
NYPD Pizza
I’m from New York, and I’ve been around the country, and nobody does Pizza like the city I call home. That’s why the place to go for some authentic cheesy tomato bread in Michigan is called New York Pizza Depot. NYPD has everything you could possibly want in a pizza place, including some of the most amazing toppings you can imagine (Pesto, Pineapple, Shrimp). Using the words “New York” in your non-New York based pizza shop makes a big statement, but from what I hear, NYPD backs it up big. If only you could grab a Subway and catch a Broadway Show afterwards.
Mr. Greek’s Coney Island
Ann Arbor, Michigan must have a giant ex-New Yorker population. Either that or they’re just very envious of our cuisine skills. Who could blame them? Either way, Greek food is cheap, messy, and all the rage, and Mr. Greek’s is the place to get it. Complete with Greek-sounding music and a picture of a Greek-looking mystery structure (is Mount Olympus a real thing?) on their website, Mr. Greek’s has all your Mediterranean favorites. Awesome sliders apparently too. I never really associated Coney Island with Greek food (Nathan’s if anything), but I hear Mr. Greek’s does it like the best of them, whether it be a Gyro or some fries with mozzarella cheese. Don’t forget the gravy.
